Hayato Sakurai vs. Phil Baroni
The fight was the Dream debut of Phil Baroni. The Fight The first round began. Sakurai landed a leg kick and they clinched as Baroni kneed the legs twice. Sakurai landed a right inside. They traded some meh knees. Four thirty-five. Baroni kneed the thigh. Four fifteen as Sakurai kneed the body nicely. Baroni kneed the body. Four minutes. They traded some more knees. Sakurai was landing the better ones if fewer. Three thirty-five as he landed a nice one to the body. Baroni landed a few to the leg, and the ref broke them up. Baroni bullrushed, they clinched. Three fifteen. Baroni kneed the leg and ate one to the body hard. That was ribs. Three minutes. Baroni worked the body with rights. Baroni got a trip to half-guard. Sakurai's got the butterflies. Two thirty-five. Baroni worked rights to the body nicely there. Sakurai threw back from the bottom. Heel kicks. A nice left from the bottom, ate two good rights. Two fifteen. Two minutes as Sakurai landed a few upkicks and ate three or four rights. One thirty-five as Sakurai hammerfisted from the bottom with rights. More hard ones, ate two rights. A left for Sakurai. One fifteen. Baroni's breathing hard now. Baroni landed a right. One minute with two more. Sakurai landed seven or eight right hammerfists, two or three more. Baroni looks gassed. Baroni landed a right, thirty-five. Sakurai landed an upkick, Baroni let him up. They clinched, Sakurai kneed the face, they broke. Fifteen. Sakurai landed a right and another, they clinched. The first round ended. 10-9 Sakurai. The second round began. Baroni bullrushed to the clinch. Sakurai stuffed a double. They traded some knees. Four thirty-five. Baroni kneed some to the legs. Sakurai got a nice trip to half-guard and then side control really. Four fifteen as he mounted. Four minutes as Sakurai landed two rights as Baroni regained half-guard. Sakurai passed to side control. Three thirty-five as Sakurai got the back. Baroni stood to the clinch, Sakurai stuffed a single. Sakurai kneed the body, they broke as Baroni landed a right uppercut. Three fifteen. Baroni landed a right to the body and ate a leg kick. Three minutes, they clinched. Baroni got a double to guard, Sakurai kinda gave that up. The ref turned them towards the center. Sakurai hammerfisted from the bottom but ate a left and more to the body. Two thirty. Two fifteen as Baroni worked the body with lefts. Sakurai's got great wrist control. Two minutes left as Baroni worked rights to the body. Sakurai landed two upkicks, another. One thirty-five. Baroni is passing, and he did to half-guard. One fifteen. One minute. Sakurai turned for a leglock with thirty-five. Baroni defended well landing two lefts and a big right and a left. Sakurai regained guard. Sakurai landed an upkick. Fifteen. The second round ended. 10-9 Baroni but close. Shamrock thought both men were tired but Sakurai was fresher. The commentators have Sakurai up two rounds. The third round began. Sakurai landed a leg kick, they clinched. Sakurai kneed the thigh. They broke. Four thirty-five, the ref had to check the glove of Baroni. They continued. Four thirty-five as Baroni ate a counter left and an uppercut. Baroni landed a right. Baroni landed a left to the body. Four fifteen. Sakurai landed a body kick. Sakurai landed a counter right uppercut, beautiful. Four minutes as he kneed the face and a counter right but he ate a left hook, Baroni sprawled stuffing a single kneeing the head twice. Three more. They stood and broke. Baroni landed a right. Three thirty as Sakurai landed a jab and a straight left. Baroni landed a right but ate a jab, three fifteen, they clinched. Sakurai stuffed a double, standing guillotine, he kneed the face, nearly mounted. He has the back, Baroni's cut above the right eye. He kneed the body. Baroni rolled, scrambled, Sakurai kept the back. He reversed to guard, wow, two thirty-five. Baroni worked rights to the body. Three iffy rights upstairs, he passed to half-guard, two fifteen. Baroni was breathing hard. Two minutes. Sakurai turned for a leglock briefly. He regained guard. One thirty-five. The ref stood them up. Baroni landed a right uppercut left hook combo, ate a big right himself, one fifteen. Sakurai landed a right. One minute. Sakurai stuffed a slow double sprawling. Sakurai kneed the face as they stood, they clinched. Baroni landed a right uppercut. Thirty-five as they broke away, Baroni's hands are down, he ate a big combo, rights. They clinched. Baroni landed a right uppercut left hook combo, ate a left, they broke. Fifteen. Sakurai landed a one-two. A big left hook on the break and a right. He stuffed a single landing three big rights, and another, the third round ended, 10-9 Sakurai. His nose is bleeding, he threw his mouthpiece into the crowd and knelt. 29-28 Sakurai, not a bad fight.